


No Matter What

by im_the_king_of_the_ocean



Series: Pride Month Ficlets 2K18 [17]
Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: Coming Out, Gen, friend and family support, gay!Jim, troll!jim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-18 09:20:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15482625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_the_king_of_the_ocean/pseuds/im_the_king_of_the_ocean
Summary: Troll Jim comes out as gay to his friends and family, receives support, and questions the particulars of his identity.





	No Matter What

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kuronaii](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kuronaii/gifts).



“I’m gay.” 

Jim told the group gathered around the bonfire.He looked around to each and every face there, hoping to see their responses in their expressions.Though he’d never been the best at reading faces.

Toby offered him a big smile and a double thumbs up.He’d been the first Jim confided in when he realized his identity and didn’t hesitate in offering to run support for this moment.

Claire smiled shakily at Jim.He knew she was still adjusting to the idea.She was the only other person beside Toby he told before tonight, and he mostly had because she’d admitted she’d had a crush on him for months and had finally mustered the courage to say something to him.It had been awkward to deny her until he’d gathered his own courage and explained _why_ he kept rejecting her.

Their friendship had grown strong though in the time that they knew each other and over the course of all the battles.One couldn’t necessarily defeat an ancient evil sorceress side-by-side with someone without becoming rather close to them.Both he and Claire were determined to maintain their friendship.Though she had asked for time and a little space to move on from her crush on him, which Jim kind of understood.Still, Claire wanted to be supportive of him, so had offered to run support along with Tobes tonight.

Blinky and Arrrgghh!!!, Jim knew would be the easiest to tell of everyone else they’d gathered together.The two had been openly together since Jim had first met them and were a massive part of the trollish LGBTQ+ community.

Arrrgghhh!!! responded first.He messed with Jim’s hair affectionately.“Hmm.Jim gay.Like Arrrgghh!!!That good.Like Jim troll like Arrrgghh!!!”When Jim ducked out from under his large hand, Arrrgghh!!! grinned toothily at the smaller half-troll.“Jim good.”

Blinky came up to Jim, wrapped all four of his arms around him, and hugged him tightly.“My magnificent son, I am so very proud of you for deciding to tell us.I have known for a long time that you are brave, but sharing something of such importance still takes a special kind of courage.”

“Thanks, Blink.”Jim whispered back.

Blinky patted him on the shoulders, and then stepped to the side so he could stand next to Jim and face the group with him.He put one of his hands on Jim’s shoulder.

The only ones in the group around the bonfire who remained were Mom and Strickler, who, if Jim were going to be completely honest with himself, were the two he was the most worried about.They were the only two he hadn’t ever talked to about anything like _this_ and were the ones he had the most trouble guessing the reactions of.Mom, ok, she’d handled the whole “my son is a troll now” thing extremely well, but this was _different_.And Strickler?Strickler was still someone Jim was trying to figure out.

Barbara stood and walked over to Jim.For a long moment she just stood before him, her eyes searching his.He gulped.This was going to be bad.So bad.

Then Barbara hugged him.“Thank you for feeling that you can include me in this too, kiddo.”She spoke in his ear.“I’ll always, always support you.”She squeezed him tight.

Jim let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding in.Slowly, he lifted his arms and hugged her back.

When they broke apart, Barbara went to stand on the other side of him from Blinky, though she stood a little behind him rather than by his side.She crossed her arms and gave Strickler what could only be described as a Look.

On the one hand, the Look made Jim worry.If Strickler wouldn’t accept him, it may stop him from admitting that until he could trap Jim alone later.On the other, he kind of liked that Mom would do that for him.

“I see that I am the only one left, but I hope that doesn’t not render my support any less important than any of the others,” Strickler spoke.“You and I have not always seen eye to eye, but on this, Young Atlas, I am fully your ally.”He offered Jim a half-smile and a small nod.

After a moment, Jim nodded back.

Jim clenched his hands into fists and then unclenched them.Now, for the other part of this.He’d come out because he wanted his friends and family to know and support him, but he also wanted their advice.There was still something he wasn’t certain of that he wanted to be.

“Thank you, everyone,” Jim started.“For accepting me.It, it means a lot.But there’s something else too that I…”Out of the corner of his eye, Jim say his mom’s expression turn into a worried frown.He hurried his next words.“I think I may be gay because I’m a troll now.Like I never really thought about this before I changed so maybe the reason I’m gay _now_ is that something in me changed when I did the potion and—”

“I’ve been trying to tell him that it doesn’t matter.”Toby interrupted.“Ok, you being gay does matter.Like a lot.But now how you got there.Not like that.Humans can be gay.Trolls can be gay.Everyone can be gay!You’re awesome sauce!”

Jim huffed.“I know that’s what you think, but I…I just want to know.”

“I’m afraid that is not something you can know for sure.”Strickler said, silencing both friends.“As the only, _ahem_ , changeling here, I may be the only one who can give insight to both humans and trolls.”Everyone turned to face him.He continued, “There have been known cases where a changeling has felt differently about attraction when in either troll or human form.So it is within the realm of possibility that a transformation such as Jim’s could have led to such a change in him.However, the instances I am referring to vary wildly between individuals.There was, to the best of my knowledge, no common factor between them.Therefore, it could also be that Jim just never considered the possibility of being gay until now, and when he did, he made that realization about himself.”

Jim ran a hand over one of his horns.“But is there like a test or something?Something to be certain?To _prove_ —”

“I’m afraid not.”Strickler answered quickly.“We cannot ask the other changelings I knew of either.Not after Gunmar…”He pursed his lips and looked away.His next words were rushed, as if trying to get as many between them and the last as possible.“What I think young Tobias was trying to get at was regardless of how you came about being gay, if that is what you are, what you want to be, that is perfectly fine and valid.”

“I know that.”Jim sat down on a log.“I just…so much has changed in how I feel since I _changed_.It would be nice to know if this was because of that or something else.” he heaved a sigh.

Barbara sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around him.“It’s ok, kiddo.”She paused.“I don’t know anything about trolls, but I do know that it can take years sometimes to figure out one’s identity and that it may fluctuate and change over time.You don’t have to know exactly everything right now.”

“I will add that being gay is perfectly normal for trolls as well.”Blinky sat down on Jim’s other side.“Arrrgghhh!!!, myself, and some of our compatriots are living proof of that.”

“Listen to what everyone’s saying, dude.”Toby walked up in front of Jim.“You’re awesome sauce, no matter what.You don’t have to prove anything.”

Jim let out a breath.“I guess you’re right.”

“You know I’m right.”

“We all care about you a lot, Jim.”Claire joined them.“So listen to what they’re saying.You’re fine.”

“Jim, good.”Arrrgghh!!! rumbled.

Jim laughed.“Ok, now you guys are laying it on a little thick.”

“You can hardly blame us.”Strickler smiled.“Your stubbornness takes a significant amount of effort to get through.”

“Gee, thanks.”Jim looked around at his friends and family.“Seriously though, thank you guys.”

Toby hugged him.“We love you dude!”

Things escalated into a group hug, since, after a minute, both Blinky and Barbara joined in, then Claire.Arrrgghhh!!! maneuvered himself around so he could get his arms around everyone.Strickler tried to stay out of it, but then Barbara yanked his arm and he gave in.


End file.
